Over the next few years, the New Orleans Saints you’ve come to know and love will be no more. Eventually, the Saints’ salary cap chickens will come home to roost and the team will have to make some drastic changes—I mean it has to happen eventually, right?

Drew Brees is likely going to retire, and even if he tries to give it one more go, we saw last year that he’s just not the same record-breaking, QB1, playoff-caliber passer he used to be. The Saints have boasted one of the top rosters in the NFL around Brees for the past few seasons. But there is only so long that the window at the top can stay open for them, especially with the core guys they have right now.

Wide receiver Michael Thomas and running back Alvin Kamara are still going to be the skill players they lean on most. Around them, the Saints still have one of the best offensive lines in football. So though a lot could be changing over the next few years, they still have some stars to make some noise.

That said, the Saints will look to add new players on offense this offseason, but who and for how much might be out of their control for what they wish they could do. Right now, the Saints are still over the cap. They’ll have to continue to make some major cuts and restructures just to get under the cap, and likely won’t have much they can do with it after.

But, as we’ve seen many times before, it’s the Saints; and they’ve never let the cap numbers hold them back from gaining the talent they think they need.

Here are a few names that could help them on offense.

T.Y. Hilton, WR, Indianapolis Colts

Projected AAV: $10 million

There was a stretch not too long ago where Hilton had five 1,000-yard seasons in six years, and he was just 34 yards short in 2017 of having six in a row. For a long time, he was one of the most reliable wide receivers in the NFL.

At 31 years of age, Hilton likely won’t be the All-Pro receiver he once was, but the Saints wouldn’t need him to be. There is still plenty of field-stretching and receiver savviness that Hilton could provide to a roster that already has Thomas. Hilton would likely be at the top of their price tag limit, but he might also be the biggest bang for their buck.

Rashard Higgins, WR, Cleveland Browns

Projected AAV: $6 million

Higgins could be on his way out from Cleveland, the team he has been with since 2016. This past season, Higgins saw a career-high in receiving yards with Odell Beckham Jr. out most of the year due to injury. I am not so sure the Saints’ situation is much better for Higgins, as he would still be the No. 2 or 3 wide receiver at best. And the future for Cleveland’s core shows a longer winning window. But, hey, if Higgins wants a change of scenery, he could be in a very nice passing weapon room once again.

*Tim Patrick, WR, Denver Broncos

Projected AAV: TBD (RFA Tender)

The 28-year-old veteran Tim Patrick is coming off the best season of his career. He started 15 games in 2020 and recorded 51 catches, 742 receiving yards, and six receiving touchdowns. Patrick doesn’t kill defenses with elite athleticism, but he’s a nice outside receiver who can do work over the middle of the field in intermediate areas. He has also proven to be a reliable red-zone receiver with many of those touchdowns. The big key to even considering Patrick as a viable option is finding out which RFA tender Denver used on Patrick.